Automatic firearm



@Gi E 39 R. @ARME Lm@ UTOMA'TIC FIR-EARN Filed Apri-1 2o. 192e ,4 i A y Patented et., l, i929 ai er REGIS DARNE, OF ST. ETIENNE, FRANCE, l

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AUTOMATG FIREARM Application-filed April 20, 1326, Serial No. 103,369, and in France April 22, 1925.

The present invention relates to automatic ed to act upon a piston b operating in said firearms, such as machine-guns, automatic ricylindrical member b2 and connected to the lcs or automatic'pistols, for war or defence. breech bolt operating slide d. The connection The invention has reference to (or linien) b3 consists of a member bored at (l) An arrangement which prevents the right angles and comprising at its top a collar working of the firing sear, so long as the arm shaped slotted part clamped to the barrel is not loaded. by a cross bolt b4. The said member b3 is con- (2) An arrangement which stabilizes the nccted to the cylindrical member b2 by a ring cartridge seized in the litting carrier, in spite nut b5. The breech bolt operating slide is acoi the shock imparted to thevbreech-bolt at the tuated in the other direction by the opposing endof its rear stroke. action of the recuperator spring it upon the (3) Various arrangements which prevent opposite extremity of the breech bolt operatthe distortion of the cartridge which is being ing slide (Z (at the right of Figures l and il). fed forward. The boss or lug d1 formed at the rear of the 5 A firing mechanism mounted outside breech-bolt operating slidea acts by means ot 65 the movable parts ofthe firearm and ensuring inclined planes d2 d3 upon corresponding inan instantaneous discharge with a view to tirclined planes on the mov'able breech bolt c ingfthrough the field of the propeller in airin order to effect its latching `and its unlockera t. ing. (5) Various arrangements which improve The cartridges g are removed from'. the belt 70 the resistance to Wear ot' the parts of automatand are introduced into the chamber in the ie firearms operating by means of gas. barrel Z) by a lifting-carrier which comprises The invention is represented, by way of eX- three arms mounted in a longitudinal vertical ample, in one form of carrying it out, upon slot Z4 in the breech-bolt operating slide d,

Z5 the annexed drawing in which :-4 the two outer arms Z@ forming a spring and 75 Figur@ l iS il VcW in longitudinal, axial having upper portions acting as a gripper section of the iirearm, in the position of eX- (Figure 2) to engage the cartridge g in adtrenic opening of the movable breech-bolt, Vance 0f its rear rim or beading, Whilst thel Fig. 1a is a longitudinal axial section of the middle arm y' forms a support to raise the fOle part Of .the firearm.. Figures 2 and 3 are front portion 0f the Cartridge, e 80 views in transverse' section, on lines 2-2 and Between the inner arm j and the gripper 8-3 respectively of Figure l. portions ot the outer arms la, is pivoted at l Figur@ l iS il View COII'SSPODClIlg With that upon the lifting carrier, a lever z' which is of Figure l but inthe position having the adapted te receivev near its pivotal axis the bl'eCh lOllZ C-lOSCl and the firing pin IIIQCllI- thrust 0f another lever qq, pivoted ai', 71,1 and 85 DSIH umili/@hei also between the outer arms c of the lifting The firearm represented is of the gas-operearl-ier; the action 0f the Single Spring 702, ated type; the latchin g of the breech bolt 0 belocated in the slot d4 of the breech-bolt operattwecn the rear of the barrel Z) and the breech ing Slide (Z, tends t0 raise the lift-,ing- Carrier 40 (lSing t in the space (L1 plOVdQCl fOl that PUI- and all the parts which are pivoted thereupeo pose in casing a, and also the unlocking ot' this on; but the rear beak of the tumbler n, makbreecli bolt c are effected by the movements of ing Contact with the lever'm6 pivoted at m5 a breech bolt operating slide d this last` in a cut-out portion d5 of the breech-bolt opermentioned is actuated, in the well known manating slide d, effects an upward movement of ner, in one direction by-the admission (see the front beak of the tumbler n which tends 95 Figi-1) of a part of the gases, when the bullet continually to tilt the lever z' upwardly; in is expelled near the iront end of the barrel this raised portion (indicated in dotted lines "D through a connection or unit b3 into a cylinin Figure l), the'lower part of this lever e' drical member L2 threaded into the lower part takes up a position inside the scar-notch or 50 of the breech casing a. Said gases are adaptnick ZL cut in the lower part ofthe breech- 190 bolt operating slide d and this prevents the sear or pivoted member Z fromengaging in this notch Z1; the firearm is consequently prevented from remaining with its breech bolt c in the open position. But a cartridge g when gripped in the lifting carrier by its presence prevents the lifting or tilting of the` lever i; the notch Z1 is thus empty and theV breech bolt operating slide can remain in the position 4corresponding with the opening of the breech bolt c (as shown in full lines in Figure l). This arrangement allows the operator to vsee if his weapon is really loaded or not, by the single fact that it remains cocked or not-cocked upon the scar Z, manually operated by a trigger, not shown. This firing sear Z serves to interrupt the shooting, with the movable slide (or block) ein the open position, in arms which do not have an independent iring mechanism and in which percussion in assured by a simple firing pin fixed on the solid part of the operating slide (Z.

When the arm is providedwith a synchronized firing mechanism, such as shown on the drawing of .the application, this firing sear 1 may be omitted. The operations for loading 'the firearm are thus greatly accelerated and many accidents are .avoided in use. Under the violence of the shock of the breech-bolt operating slide d against the rear plate a2 of the breech casing a, the cartridge g performs a slipping movement, by reason of its inertia, between the grippers le of the lifting-carrier; this slip might cause it to escape too soon from engagement by the carrier and thus give rise to irregularities in the working'of the firearm. In order to avoid this inconvenience, the cartridge feed-mechanism is provided with a tumbler m which is U-shaped and is pivoted at m1 upon the lever n which is pivoted at m1 between the arms of the lifting carrier jk; a little before the breech bolt operating slide d strikes against the butt-plate a2, the front eX- tremity of the guide h1 of the recuperator spring h meets a second oscillating member m* which is also U-shaped and is pivoted at m5 in the cut-out portion d5 of the breechbolt operating slide.

The oscillation of this member m4 causes the lifting of the tumbler fm and forces it, by means of its inclined face m2 at its front upper part, against the rear of the cartridge g. The undue slip of the cartridge is thus avoided; nevertheless when the breech bolt roperating slide d is sent forward by the recuperator spring h, the tumbler m can freely turn over rearwardly until it bears against the member m4 the tumbler m then presents its front inclined'face m2 in a suitable position opposite the b'ase` of the cartridge g in order to assist the releasing or removal of the said cartridge from the lifting-carrier for the purpose of feeding it into the chamber of the barrel b. It will be remarked that the base of the cartridge g cannot take up a position, by reason of faulty manipulation, above the inclined face m2 of the tumbler m, as would be possible if this tumbler m would be pivotcd upon the breech-bolt mechanism in place of being pivoted upon a lever n itselfpivoted upon the lifting-carrier.

The guide for the recuperator spring h is preferably, as shown, formed in two telescoping portions h1 7a2 with an internal spring h3; this arrangement has the following advantages (l) It avoids the abrupt shock at the end of the rearward stroke between the oscillating member m4 and the front extremity of the spring-guide, and consequently avoids the possibility of wear and shake in these parts.

-(2) It prevents damage to the cartridge g at the time of its introduction into the chain'- ber in barrel b; for this purpose, the inner telescoping part h2 of the spring-guide comprises, beyond its head 71.4, a prolongation or stom h5 of such a length that, at the time of the return forwardly ofD the breech-bolt operating slide d, the rear enlargement h6 of this part h2 meets a contracted or inturned portion at the front of the rear telescoping part h1 of the spring-guide; this contracted portion stops the forward stroke of the part h2 of the spring-guide, which thus frees4 the parts m and m4, whilst the front stem h5 ofthe spring guide remains engaged, for a further distance of some millimetres, below the lever n.

Now at this moment, the cartridge g, partly entered into the chamber of the barrel l), becomes precisely freed from the lifting earrier j 7c. The supportthus temporarily assured to the lifting carrier by the prolongation h5, by the intermediary of the lever n, prevents this .lifting carrier from being lowered at the moment of the action of removing the cartridge g out of the grippers of the lifting carrier, and consequently avoids the bending effect which would otherwise be imparted to the cartridge. The length of the front prolongation h5 of the spring guide is regulated in such a manner as to permit the lowering of the lifting-carrier irrimedi-v atelyafter the cartridge g has been freed therefrom. i 'i As shownin Figure 4, the outer telescopic part 71.1 of the spring-guide is provided near its front end with a side aperture l1,7 through which the rear enlargement 7L of the interior telescopic part h2 can be passed out, which arrangement allows the, device to be dismounted by hand.

The lower cylindrical body d of the breech bolt operating slide comprises, near its rear extremity, a portion d of larger diameter which alone bears upon the bore of the breech casing a, which arrangement avoids useless friction and affords, between the bore of the breech casing and the largest part of' the side walls of the breech casinga for the passage of the stem p of the manipulating handle or stud, is extended to the rear end of the breech casing, which arrangement avoids the dismountingof the manipulate v ing handle, accelerates the dismounting of the firearm and permits of a more solid construction of the parts; th'is slideway a3, as well as a groove at hollowed out opposite the slideway a3 up to half the thickness of the opposite side wall o-f the breech casing, can be utilized to guide the breech bolt op-v erating slide d in its movements, by the in# termediary of the extended stem p of the operating handle or stud, securely fixed or riveted in the breech bolt operating slide d; this guiding arrangement thus causes the manipulating handle or stud to absorb the largest portion of the work imposed hitherto on the lower cylindrical body al of the breech bolt operating slide.

The quick firing mechanism, which allows the discharge to be synchronized with the movement of rotation of the motors of aero-v planes for ire through the field of the propeller, presents this feature that it is wholly located not in the breech bolt operating slide and not in the movable breech bolt, but in an open box s fixed to to the breech casing a at the upper part of the firearm.

This firing mechanism comprises a hammer e arranged in such a way that it can oscillate at el'between the two lateral cheeks or walls of the box s and to which hammer is imparted, by means of a connecting rod e2 pivoted at e3 upon the hammer e, the thrust of a plate spring e5.

The release of the firing mechanism is e'ffected by the movable breech c which, as it rises foiits latching, acts upon the automatic sear 0 which is pivoted at o1 upon the box s; the hammer e is released and tends to turn in a clockwise direction but its stroke is immediately stopped by the second sear ,/1, which is pivoted at 111 upon box s and which allows the hammer e 4to fall upon the pin f only at the moment when the motor imparts, by the usual intermediate mechanism, a thrust on the rod 112 which moves aside this seceond sear 1" (Figure 4).

The recoil of the movable breech bolt'c effected by the breech bolt operating slide d causes the hammer e to pivot in the opposite direction in order to be re-cocked; for this purpose, a lever fw, pivoted at lw1 upon the breech boltr operating slide d and passing through a longitudinal axial slot f1 in the firing pin f, is subjected, as a result of the recoil of the breech bolt operating slide d, to a movement of oscillation which lifts its upper extremity; the latter acts upon the hammer c in such a way as to complete the angular movement of rotation of the hammer, in a contra-clockwise direction, so as to bring this sear or hammer e into engagement with the beak o3 of the automatic sear 0, which is itself freed by reason of the lowering of the breech bolt c (Figure l) and subjected to the action of the plate spring 02.

The movement of oscillation of the lever w at the time of the opening of the firearm has also for object to effect a. recoil movement of the firing pin f and this recoil movement prevents, at the time of closing the firearm, the firing pin which projectsin front of the movable breech bolt c, from causing a premature discharge. On the other hand, when the movable breech bolt stops in the latching position, the breech bolt operating slide d, which continues its forward stroke, carries along the lever w, which oscillates and allows the firing pin f to proceed forward when it is struck by the hammer e. This lever w thus forms a safety device.

The mounting of the plate spring e5 is facilitated by a cam-fitted lever e pivoted upon the box s and enabling the spring e5 to be tensioned or slackened by hand, without any tool. y

The box s, between the lateral cheeks of which are pivoted the devices e 0 c and r is also provided, to the rear of the chamber of the barrel b, with an inclined oscillating plate s1 which is held suitably directed and is tilted` up by the breech bolt c when the lat-ter slides forwardly for its latching action; this inclined plate s1 has for object to guide the cartridge g which is being feil "forward in order that it may be correctly directed into the chamber of the gun-barrel.

What l claim is:

l. In an automatic fire arm of the breech bolt type having the usual breech bolt, firin g sear coacting with a notch in the breech bolt, and a spring actuated cartridge carrier with grippers, means to prevent the firing sear from stopping the breech-bolt in the position of opening the fire-arm so long as no cartridge is in the lifting-carrier, said means comprising a pivoting member to which the absence of a cartridge, in the grippers of the lifting carrier, allows a pivotal movement such that one of its extremities, by closing the sear notch in the breech bolt operating slide prevents the hooking of the breech bolt operating slide over the sear, thus indicating the operator whether or not the firearm is loaded by the fact that it remains or does notremain in the open position.

2. An automatic firearm according to claim 1, the said pivoting member being formed by a lever fulcrumed upon the lifting-carrier and another lever controlling said first named lever also pivoted on the lifting-carrier and bearing at one of its extremities upon the breech-bolt operating slide, under the action of the spring of the lifting carrier, in order to bring the first mentioned lever into the positionl which prevents the hooking of the sear, when this lever is not stopped in its pivoting movement by the rear part of the cartridge seized by the lifting carrier.

3. A'n automatic firearm having a breech bolt, means for avoiding undesirable movements of the cartridge which is being fed by the lifting carrier, such movements being due particularly to the shock at the end of the rearward stroke of thebreech bolt operating slide, the said means including a pivoted member provided with an inclined ramp, which serves for the removal of the cartridge from the carrier, a recuperator spring, a guide therefor, said ramp carrying member being subjected to an erecting movement around its pivotal axis shortly before the shock at the end of the rear stroke of the breech bolt operating slide, by the contact of the base of said member, which carries the ramp, against the front extremity of the guide for the recuperator spring.

4. In an automatic firearm having a device for avoiding undesirable movement of the cartridge as claimed in claim 3 in which a seceond member is pivoted between the front of the bolt operating slide and the first member carrying the inclined plane or ramp, this second member striking the front end of the guide of the recuperator spring shortly before the end of the rearward stroke of the slide and causing by its oscillation, the jerecting movement of the first member, so as to present the inclined plane of the latter against the rear of the cartridge.

5. An automatic firearm as claimed in claim 3, the recuperator spring guide in two parts capable of sliding one within the other, a spring situated in the fixed rear part of the guide to which the front movable part is subjected in such a way as to avoid, at the end of the rear stroke of the breech bolt operating slide, the shock of the member which is fitted with the ramp serving for the removal of the cartridge against the front extremity of this recuperator spring guide, and to avoid distortions resulting therefrom.

An automatic {ire-arm including a carrier for lifting the cartridge into the barrel chamber, a two part recuperator spring guide having a head at one end adapted to engage beneath said carrier under the action of a cartridge partly engaged in the barrel chammounted in said housing adapted to maintain said hammer cocked until said scar is tripped by the lifting movement of the breech bolt in the breech casing, a second sear pivotally mounted in said housing and adapted to hold the hammer cocked until a predetermined moment independent of the tripping of said hammer by the firstmentioned scar, means carried by said housing and actuated by the motor that turns the propeller for operating said hammer-holding sear to release said hammer, said housing and the parts mounted therein being movable from the gun as a unit,

the said first and second sears being pivotedv Within the housing on opposite sides of the pivotal axis of the hammer and being adapted to engage with said hammer at a relatively long distance from the pivotal axis of the hammer.

8. Instantaneous firing mechanism for guns adapted to fire between the moving propeller blades in aircraft, comprising a housing detachably secured to the breech casing of the gun, a firing hammer pivotally mounted in said housing, spring-actuated means adapted to operate said hammer also mounted in said housing, a iirst sear pivotally mounted in said housing adapted to maintain said hammer cocked until said sear is tripped by the lifting movement of the breech bolt in the breech casing, a second sear pivotally mounted in said housing and adapted to hold the hammer cocked until a predetermined moment independent of the tripping of said hammer by the first mentioned sear, means carried by said housing and actuated by the motor thatturns the propeller for operating said hammer-holding sear to release said hammer, said housing and the parts mounted therein being movable from the gun as a unit, the said cooperative removable parts including an eccentric lever pivotally mounted in said housing and adapted to controlA the spring actuated means for operating the hammer.

9. A safety device for automatic fire-arm of the type having breech bolt with breech bolt operating slide and a firing pin carried by the breech bolt including means comprising a lever pivoted upon the breech bolt operating slide and connected to the firing pin located in the movable breech, the recoil movement of the breech bolt relative to the breech having for its objectV to impart to this lever a movement of oscillation which brings back the ring pin rearwardly to an extent suiiicient to prevent the liring operation. r

10. An automatic lire-arm as claimed in claim 9 including a firing hammer and a sear having a4 nose engageable with said firing hammer in a certain position of the latter, the said lever pivoted to the breech block slide being arranged upon recoil of said slide to bring said firing hammer into engagement with the nose of said sear for completing the recoil of said hammer.

11. ln automatic firearms, a breech bolt operating slide comprising, at the rear part of its lower cylindrical body, a portion of larger diameter which alone is intended to y bear upon the bore of the breech-casing with a view to diminishing friction, to afford a space favourable for the evacuation of foreign matter, and to strengthen the breech bolt.

12. Anautomatic irearni,comprising amanipulating handle fixed in a permanent manner to the breechbolt operating slide, with a View to facilitating the dismounting of the internal devices, said handle passing through a longitudinal slideway or slot formed in one of the walls of the breech casing and being prolonged to the rear extremity of this breech casing. Y

13. An automatic f'rearm, according Ato claim 12, the manipulating handle being utilized to guide the breech bolt operating slide in its longitudinal movements, first, along the slideway which allows the passage of the manipulating handle in one of the walls of the breech casing and, secondly, along a groove formed in the opposite wall of the breech-casing for part of thethickness thereof, the work imposed on the lower cylindrical body of the breech boltoperating slide, for the latching and the release of the breech bolt, being thus reduced by the support ofthe manipulating studfupon the breech casing.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification. l

REGIS DARNE. [La] 

